Hi, names Jon, stumbled over this site whilst surfing the Web and I can see myself spending quite so...
Hi, names Jon, stumbled over this site whilst surfing the Web and I can see myself spending quite some time on here. Seems more worth while than facebook! lol
Nice to be able to find honest things out about products before buying!
Thanks, Jon
Member since:02.03.2008
Reviews:8
Back in 2001 I bought a second hand (or more likely third/fourth hand) Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit (Nekkid however, not the S version), I had previously owned a Suzuki GS500E commuter bike (500cc flat twin). I was 20 years old and had 'tricked up' the GS500E to look like the streetfightered (term for personalised/modified bikes) Bandits I had seen all over the place. I unfortunately crashed that but just found it as a good excuse to have it re-sprayed, twin spotlights added and renthal handlebars to give it the 'tricked up' Bandit look. Therefore when I came to move up to a new bike I decided, on seeing an already tricked up 1200 Bandit in a local dealer, to go for it!
I was pleased to see the bike was up fro Approx £4,000 which was just in my price range. I did worry about insurance as I was only 20 but was again pleased to find out that since the Bandit didn't have an 'R' in it's name and it was classed as a commuter it wasn't in a high Insurance band and was VERY affordable! At 21 years old after owning it a year I re-Insured it third party fire and theft for just £150 for the year!
On buying the bike I was rather nervous to the fact that this thing was light, VERY manuverable with the (already fitted) renthal handle bars and VERY VERY torquey and powerful! I soon got used to the power and the Bandit was an absolute dream to ride, very useable, very easy to potter around town and MORE than capable to be opened up both on the motorway (windy without the S versions fairing), 'A' roads and little twisties, where the 'sit up and beg' riding style mixed with the renthal handlebars and some decent tyres made it quite nimble and light, almost like a 600 to handle, but with the 1200's power on tap.
The low grunt from the big 1200cc engine means the Bandit can slow right down in higher gears and pull away again, very good for town/city riding. It also kicks, and kicks big, if you open her up in first gear too quickly (or if you like that) then the front wheel responds quickly and reaches for the sky due to a short wheelbase and a lot of power.
There are so many options for personalising these bikes and for tuning, although I found the Bandit fast enough for me! Mine had braided brake lines and oil cooler, custom paint job (I added), renthal bars, screws and nuts/bolts to match (blue) and a custom head-lamp set.
They are used by stunt riders a lot due to their wheely ability but they can also be used to commute nicely or even tour since they are comfortable to ride and have a decent fuel consumption (if ridden sensibly)!
I tended to go through tires and chains a lot due to my open throttle attitude but the Bandit really is a very flexible bike to ride and VERY VERY enjoyable!
Be careful hen buying second hand due to ex-stunt machines. My head bearing went due to previous wheelies/stoppies but apart from that and general wear tear of tires and chains I had no other problems with the bike in the two years I owned it.
It is also great for pillions due to the large double seat and comes with grab handles at the back.
All I ever described my Bandit as and I think it describes it well for those wanting a crazy tool, is a 'BMX with a 1.2litre engine!' If you think back to your childhood and your beloved BMX bike, then think about strapping in a powerful 1200cc torquey engine with lots of low down grunt that can also take you to approx 150mph, then the Bandit is what you have!
Enjoy it, I certainly did, I'v had and ridden all sorts but the Bandit is and will always be one of my all time best bikes! So much FUN!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very helpful by (100%):
